


His Masterpieces

by Oddly_terrifying_squiggle



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alexander is nervous, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bisexual Alexander Hamilton, F/M, Fluff, Gay John Laurens, Henry Laurens' A+ Parenting, It's just them talking about their shit dads, John is pretty, M/M, Peggy is best, Swearing, The Author Is Bad At Poetry, The Author Regrets Nothing, The English professor is based off mine, There's a mention of sex toys but it's only for a joke, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, this is kind of cliche, very light angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2019-08-05 15:56:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16370624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oddly_terrifying_squiggle/pseuds/Oddly_terrifying_squiggle
Summary: Alexander has always wanted to meet his soulmate. He already adored them and the masterpieces they would make on their arm. Now, there is is a new transfer student in his class. Lafayette keeps teasing him and telling him that there is a chance this beautiful boy could be his soulmate. Alexander doubts it, but he guesses there's nothing wrong with hoping.





	1. A New Face

Alexander watched, hypnotized, as the lines appeared on his arms. From big, vibrant swirls that decorated abstract designs to small, simple strokes that make up beautifully detailed pieces. They covered his fingers, his hands, his arms, all the way up to his elbows. Doodles of plants, oceans, space, landscapes, he had seen all of these beautiful lands created on his arms over the course of his life. Sometimes, they were immensely complicated, sometimes they were some stupid little doodles that made him laugh, either way he loved to see these perfectly imperfect masterpieces form. They always made him feel as if they were made only for his eyes, just for him. Something about the idea just made his heart flutter. Some days, rings of different colours decorated his fingers with random splotches of colours on his forearms.

On the days he had exams, there were frustrated scribbles of purples, reds, and blacks that appeared. The colours would then be smudged, as if his soulmate wasn’t paying attention once he drew them on and tried to remove them from their arm. The drawings always represented his soulmate’s mood. Alexander could always tell what they were feeling. They made them as if to represent a part of them.

Eventually, anything on his arm became a source of reassurance to Alexander. He would find his soulmate some day and they would live happily. Additionally, all he ever had to do was look down at his arm for a source of inspiration for writing, poetry, and any other essays. Sometimes he would jot down things he had to do or places he had to go to on his wrist and his soulmate would do his best to surround it in a beautiful design without covering it. Other times, Alexander would also write small bits of poetry on his arm meant for them, he would receive a piece of art back or a response saying how sweet he was, which he found very adorable.

Alexander had never in his life seen anyone with a matching masterpiece, he had no idea as to who his soulmate could be. Now, everyone knew that writing down your personal information would be the easiest way to find your soulmate, but unfortunately the soulmate system doesn’t work like that. Once you write down any personal information on yourself your soulmate would not be able to see it. Also, not everyone got this specific tell. Tells are the way in which you know who your soulmate is. Alexander got the one in which when you write or draw something on yourself it would appear on your soulmate. However, other people have a string that only they can see, some can’t see colour until they’ve met their soulmate, some get the scars that their soulmate gets, some have a word, some have a patch of grey that indicates where your soulmate will touch you first and it erupts into colour once they do, and some can even get wings once they kiss their soulmate for the first time.

Everything about soulmates was confusing to Alexander, he was glad that he had what he had.

It hadn’t always been great, Hamilton would get bullied and teased about the masterpieces throughout middle school, in which time the drawings were only new. They were a shaky mess at the time and other kids would bother him about it. Alexander never cared though, he loved the little drawings and they were always beautiful to him. The teasing stopped once the drawings became skilled and beautiful. He also suspected that it might have something to do with the fact that he got suspended for punching Jefferson in the face when he said that his soulmate was untalented and stupid. His soulmate was absolutely talented, smart, and beautiful, no one was allowed to say anything bad about him. Alex still stood by that, no one could tell him otherwise.

Alexander caught himself smiling at the thoughts of his soulmate. He shook his thoughts away, he had to finish this essay, it was due in two weeks and if he didn’t get it in on time his professor would kill him. He couldn’t keep getting distracted by the beautiful lines that appeared on his forearm right now. He continued to work, only ten pages so far. Suddenly, he saw his phone light up and reached for it. The time read 9:27p.m, he could still work for half an hour and get enough sleep for his early class in the morning. He saw the reason his phone had lit up, Lafayette had texted him.

Large baguette: Go to bed, mon ami

Little lion: No, I have work, I’ll sleep in a half hour or something.

Large baguette: Fine, but you better get up early enough to come get coffee with us

Little lion: I will, I will.

Large baguette: By the way, did you hear about the new guy? Apparently it’s his first day tomorrow

Little lion: Yeah, but it doesn’t really matter to me, I just need to graduate. Besides, who transfers schools in the middle of the second semester?

Large baguette: Come on, don’t be like that! You will introduce yourself with Herc and me and you will be nice!

Little lion: Finnneee, I’ll see you tomorrow.

 With that, he ended the conversation and turned off his phone. He needed to get as much work on this done and still have time to get up early and have coffee with his friends. He decided that he had done enough for the day and went to brush his teeth. Once he did he changed into his pajamas, not really caring which ones they were. Alexander climbed into his bed, ready for sleep. He brought his arm up next to his face so he could observe the finished work. He tried to take in every detail of the drawing. I was truly beautiful, but it seemed… sad or nervous? It showed a merciless storm on a raging ocean Alexander wondered why he felt that way, he decided that if his soulmate was still feeling bad tomorrow he would write something just for them. He dozed off as he thought of what he would write.

 

The loud beeping of his alarm clock woke Alexander. He reached over to silence it and looked at the time, 5:00a.m, he had three hours until his class started. Hamilton dragged himself out of bed to do the routine, brush his teeth, shower, change, and eat his breakfast. Alex put on some jeans and a white flannel, deciding against rolling up the sleeves. It was rare for Hamilton to not show off his soulmate’s beautiful artwork, but he didn’t want the new guy to start saying anything, or for Laf and Herc to be suspicious of what his soulmate had painted that time. He decided against drinking coffee right away since he was going to the cafe with Laf and Herc. He could totally function without coffee.

He grabbed his laptop and plopped down on the couch to start a draft of what he would write for his soulmate. Laf wanted to see him there at 6:30, so he had about an hour to write down a small but meaningful poem. Writing to his soulmate always made Alexander a little nervous, what if he said something wrong? What if he said something offensive? He was always extra thoughtful when writing to them.

He eventually came up with something he thought would be good. It was short but he had put thought into it, plus he only had so much time. He started to quickly but carefully wrote it down on a clear part of his arm.

 

“My darling,

You are scared, but there is no need for fear.

You are blinded by your uncertainty.

You are unhappy.

You are anxious.

You are clueless as to what should be done.

There is no need for these thoughts

For it shall all pass, you shall succeed

And I will always be right here.

By your side.

I adore you.”

He thought it not his best but he decided it would work. He hoped. Alexander closed his laptop and looked at the time on his phone, he had fifteen minutes to get to the cafe. He groaned as he stood up, he really needed his coffee right now or he might kill something. He started his walk to the coffee shop, it really wasn’t far, just a short walk from his dorm.

 

Alexander walked into the shop as the familiar and delicious smell of coffee filled his nose. He looked around for his friends and waved once he found them. He walked over to the counter and ordered his coffee, not really paying attention to the cashier, as always. He paid for his drink and, once he received it, went to sit at the table with his friends.

“Bonjour, mon ami! I am glad to see you made it,” Lafayette greeted Alexander with a smile.

“Yeah man, it’s been awhile since you came to get coffee with us,” Herc stated as warmly as Laf.

Hamilton took a sip from his coffee, “Yeah, sorry about that, I’ve had a lot of stuff to work on recently. Plus, you guys come here way too early for me,” He responded simply and took another sip of his drink.

The two other soulmates chuckled at Alex’s comment, “I forgot how direct he is before he gets his coffee,” said Mulligan, earning a laugh from his boyfriend and an eye roll from Alexander.

“Besides, I wouldn’t want to cock-block you two. I know how much you like to get it on when you think nobody else is around,” Hamilton said bluntly before nonchalantly taking yet another sip. He grinned into his cup once he saw both of them look away as their faces turned red.

Lafayette was fast to change the subject, “So, that new guy, I hear that he’s cute,” he said suggestively towards Alexander.

Alexander sighed, “You really have to stop listening to rumors, besides I only want to be with my soulmate so I couldn’t care less unless it’s them. Where do you even hear this stuff?” He shot back.

“Well, Martha M. apparently saw him talking to the Dean. Then she told Martha W., who told Dolley P., who told Theodosia, who told Eliza, who told Maria and her sisters, Maria told Adrienne, then Adrienne told me,” he explained.

It took poor Alex a second to process that, “Laf, that’s ridiculous! This isn’t high school anymore, you have to stop believing and spreading rumors!”

Laf crossed his arms but before he could defend himself Herc chimed in, “Come on Alex, what if the new student  _is_  your soulmate? You have to consider that."

Alexander had to admit, there was a chance that maybe this was his soulmate, but even so the chance was extremely small, “Alright, yes, they might be, but do you realize how nearly impossible that is?”

It was now Lafayette’s turn to roll his eyes, “Oh, you’re just nervous to meet them.” He claimed, arms still crossed.

His friend had a point, Alexander was a little bit nervous to meet them. Then again, who wouldn’t be, your soulmate is supposed to be your perfect match, who many haven’t met, seen, or communicated with in their whole life. What if Alex did something wrong, or what if he wasn’t good enough, or what if something happened to his soulmate that meant they could never see each other again? However, he was never going to admit that to his annoyingly smug foster brother. “Please, Laf, I’ve been looking forward to that my whole life! Why would I be nervous?” He laughed.

Lafayette looked at him for a moment, then blatantly said “Alexander, I know my foster brother well enough to know what he’s feeling, and when he is lying. You can’t hide things from me.”

Herc put his arm around Lafayette, “He’s got a point, Hamilton, he’s known you for quite a long time,” He pointed out before giving his soulmate a kiss on the cheek.

Laf smiled at Mulligan, “Aww, merci mon amour,”

Alexander drank the last of his coffee then looked at the time on his phone. He looked back up at his friends, who expected a witty comeback by now, “We have half an hour to get to class, we should get going so we don’t have to hurry,” He declared as he stood up, changing the subject.

Lafayette rolled his eyes, “It’s a fifteen minute walk, you’re just, how you say…, eager to meet the new student,” he said slyly as he and Herc got up as well.

Alexander let out a very audible sigh as he picked up his book bag, “I just want to get to class without thinking that I’m going to be late,” He shot back.

Hamilton decided to start walking with or without them, knowing that they would follow him. They did. Almost immediately, at that. They all talked while calmly walking to their class. Most of the conversation was teasing Alexander, but he quickly turned it to them.

 

Alexander sat at his usual seat for this class, at the back along with Herc and Laf. He would usually sit at the very front in his other classes, but he absolutely hated this class, not because of the subject, he liked English, but because of the professor. Sure, a lot of professors showed up hungover and in pajamas, but at least they learned something once in a while. This one was an incompetent, idiotic, unprofessional, inexperienced, homophobic, ruinous, intransigent, hypocritical, egotistical, arrogant, anti-charismatic, irrational, narcissistic national embarrassment. How does a man in need of such intense grooming become a teacher? Alexander’s non-existent dog could speak more eloquently that his professor. He was a nuisance with no sense, he’d die of irrelevance!

Alex couldn’t understand how this man had a wife. He was unsuccessful, his personality was shit, and he looked like the hair you pull out from the shower drain. He was hungover every morning, he only seemed to wear one pair of dirty pajamas, he had long hair that merged into a beard that were both extremely gross, it was all a complete eyesore, and this was coming from Alexander Hamilton. The boy who had permanent huge bags under his eyes, barely dressed up decently, lived off of coffee, and got 3 hours of sleep most nights.

To make matters worse, the professor would give them elaborate tests with incorrect answers without teaching anything. Least to say, Alexander got into arguments regularly with this man. Every class would have the professor and Alexander yelling at each other with the encouragement of his classmates. It could get very intense, very quickly. At least today the new student would be here, that meant that he would make a horrible attempt on a lesson. Great.

He let his thoughts wander to the earlier conversation. What if the new student  _was_  actually his soulmate? It would explain their drawing. However, it probably wasn’t. Again, the chances were extremely slim. Even if it was, Alexander barely had time for romance, and he was sure they wouldn’t like that. Between all of the writing, assignments, and his… coffee needs, he just didn’t have time for all of that stuff. Although, he had been wanting to meet them all his life, this person was supposed to be his perfect match. That could get a little intimidating at times.

Alexander also considered that once he met his soulmate it might change his view about his responsibilities, but this was Alexander Hamilton so he highly doubted that. He shook the thoughts out of his head while he opened his notebook, class would start soon and the teacher would want to make a good impression before completely giving up.

Alexander looked up once he heard the door open. Actually on time, that’s a first. “Hello students,” The professor greeted before setting his stuff down onto his desk.

The students looked up then went back to what they were doing.

Once he figured he wouldn’t get a response he very audibly sighed before clearing his throat. “I’m sure many of you have heard the rumors about the new transfer student. If you have, you should know not to listen to rumors because you’re in college now.” He declared in his boring monotone voice. Alexander heard this and turned to Lafayette who, very maturely, stuck his tongue out at him. Talk about college.

The professor sighed, “I don’t understand all the commotion, we get transfer students all the time.” He said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “But alas, here we are.” He turned back to face his class.

There were a few whispers and quiet giggles from the class. Shameless.

“So, as I am an English teacher, I am obligated to introduce him. And no, I don’t know why, I just follow the rules.” He explained before anyone could ask. “I’ll go get him...” He sighed.

Voices filled the classroom, two of which were his friends’. Alexander  _thought_  he was in a class with other adults. Apparently he was wrong. So, so wrong. He ignored his foster brother’s nudges and sly face. He felt himself become relieved when the footsteps in the hallway caused everyone else to shut up.

The door once again opened but Alexander didn’t bother to look up, “This is Mr.John Laurens. Don’t be assholes to him.” The professor introduced him, resulting in a lot of whispers from the rest of the students.

That name seemed familiar to him. Laurens… where had he heard that before? Alexander decided to look up, least to say he wasn’t disappointed. Not that he found the boy attractive or anything, he was just impressed that the rumors were a little bit true in the smallest way. Totally.

The boy standing in front of the class was tall, sleek and tanned. He had long and very curly hair up in a ponytail along with eyes that were an unknown colour to Alexander because he was really far away. The really adorable thing that Alex noticed was that he seemed to be covered in freckles. That really made Alex drawn to him, freckles are so cute. John wore a worn pair of jeans and a long sleeved black button up shirt. Hamilton found himself staring and quickly looked back down to his notebook.

“I told you~” Lafayette leaned over to whisper in his ear with a smirk.

A light pink appeared on Alexander’s face as he turned to him, “Okay, I’ll give it to you, he’s a little bit mildly attractive in the smallest way.” He quietly admitted.

His foster brother let out a hushed excited laugh, “I told you so!” He whisper shouted.

Alexander then tried to reason “Maybe, but if he’s not my soulmate there’s nothing I can do about it, I’ve told you this!” He quickly whisper shouted back. It’s true, he only had eyes for his soulmate. But God, did he hope that this was his soulmate.

He received an unamused “Uh-huh” from Lafayette before he turned back to the front.

“You may sit down now, John.” Proclaimed the professor, gesturing to the rest of the class.

John nodded and started to walk through the classroom, he approached a desk, “Is it okay if I sit here?” He asked the boy next to the desk who just so happened to be Alexander. Fuck.

Alexander looked up at him, “Sure, go ahead, no one sits there,” He responded. John thanked him, sat down and put his book bag down next to him. Alexander noticed that the boy had a bit of a southern accent, but he talked as if he were trying to hide it.

The professor then started to talk, “Alright students, now we start today’s lesson…” He began, immediately losing almost all of Alexander’s attention.

 

Hamilton grouchily wrote down every word this so called instructor said in his dense monotone voice. As soon as he wrote down something he knew was inexplicably mistaken he instantly scribbled it out and wrote the correct things.

“Incorrect… idiotic… inaccurate… incorrect… sloppy… generalized… not true… repetitive… wow, I don’t even have a word for that one…” He angrily mumbled as he continued to move his pen. He knew he was fuming, but that really wasn’t anything new to him.

“Wow, you really don’t like the professor, do you?” He heard a quiet but amused voice say all of a sudden. It was that new voice with the slight southern accent.

Alexander turned to his right to see John propping his head up with his elbow, his head turned to look at Hamilton. He had a very amused expression on his face. Alex felt mildly embarrassed for half a second, but he quickly shoved it aside.

He turned back to his notebook and kept writing down what the professor said. He scoffed “No, his lessons are, as I said before, sloppy, generalized, and often times wrong.” He quietly responded.

“Plus, he always looks like he came out of a sewer, he’s just going to try to impress you for a few days because you’re new, he’ll go back to his usual self eventually. Keep your expectations at rock bottom for him, we just come to his class and sit here while we wait for him to give us an exam on a subject he never talked about. I honestly feel bad for my classmates sometimes.” He finally finished, leaving John with an even more amused and bewildered expression.

Laf then suddenly butt in, “He’s very opinionated,” he deadpanned, “he also never stops talking,”

“I’m also not ashamed of it,” Alexander then bluntly added, causing John to attempt to hide his laughter. The former took this moment to notice that John’s eyes were a warm hazel, he had something in his eyes similar to fire, to a burning passion and determination, but also something else that Hamilton couldn’t quite place his finger on, something that made Alexander drawn to him. In a platonic way, of course. Definitely.

“That’s going to be your downfall one day, Alexander,” Alexander heard a familiar voice quietly state behind them. He turned to see his friend, the one he occasionally friend hated for disagreeing with him so many times.

“What do you want me to do, Burr, I gotta holler just to be heard,” He shot back, turning back around to the front of the class and jotting down what he missed. He still grumbled about the mistakes.

 

Hamilton continued to scribble in his notebook, honestly he should just start using pencil already. He saw the professor check his watch, he kept his attention on him, this class always feels like it takes years, at least the new face gave him some kind of distraction.

His professor looked back up, “Alright guys, that’s all for today, remember your homework and your test next week!” He proclaimed, and just like that everyone rushed out of the classroom.

Alexander, Hercules, Lafayette, and John stayed back to collect their things. John looked to them as he slung his bag onto his shoulder, “Uh, do I have to take that test as well?” He asked.

The three others exchanged a confused look, “We’re actually not sure, sorry,” Alex started, earning a forgiving look from the other, “but we do have a study group tomorrow, you’re welcome to come if you’d like, I can write down the information for you.” He took out his pen to scribble down everything he needed to know.

Alexander handed it to him once he was done, “Thank you, I’ll definitely go!” John exclaimed with a smile.

He was about to take a step before Lafayette butt in, “Hey, John, we’re all going to the… bar later! Would you like to come with us, even Alexander agreed to come and he never leaves his house!” He said, trying not to insinuate anything. He failed quite terribly but John didn’t quite seem to notice.

Before John could answer, Hamilton blurted out “Wait, what? No, I didn’t agree to anything—!” He let out a grunt once he felt his foster brother elbow him in the stomach.

He double over in pain and gripped the desk for support, “Okay, fine! I’ll go, I’ll go!” He wheezed.

“But I won’t enjoy myself.” he grumbled under his breath. Lafayette glared at him.

“Sure, I’ll see you there at around?” John questioned, a bit nervous.

“7:30!” Laf responded in his cheerful voice, John nodded, “Come on you two, let’s go!” He exclaimed before walking away, holding Herc’s hand.

John smiled, “See you later, Alexander,” he said as he looked him in the eye.

For the first time, Hamilton felt...unsure of himself. “See you later,” he said quietly as he began to go after Lafayette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell I'm salty about english prof? ;-;
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, Kudos and comments are very much appreciated! <3


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WELP! Life is hard, my darlings! This took so much longer than expected and I am so so so sorry! I've been really busy recently but I'm trying to update as much as possible! I hope you enjoy this chapter <3

Alexander sat at his desk, reading his law textbook under the light that fled in from his window. He noticed that it was starting to get a little dark so he checked his phone for the time, he did have plans he was coerced into after all, and being late wasn’t an option unless he wanted to get lectured. His phone read 6:00, he had some time, although it would be best if he started to get ready. He really didn’t feel like going to a bar tonight, he had work to do and he wasn’t up to separating Laf and Herc when they got a little too intimate. He had to admit, it’s been a while since he hung out with his friends in a completely stress free environment, the bar to get drunk for example, and he guessed he did owe them that much. And John being there definitely didn’t have an effect on his choice of going. Definitely not. Sure, he might be able to talk to him alone and get to know him or something, but that didn’t matter. Alexander deserved a break, anyway.

He was then torn away from his thoughts when he saw a small line appear on his now clean forearm. His soulmate had cleaned the paint off earlier and he thought that they were going to start another but they were only now making small lines. Wait, they were words. That made a bit more sense. His arm now had his full attention, the handwriting reasonably big and very neat.

_ Yo _

Alexander then chuckled at the little stick man pointing finger guns at him, his soulmate was clearly very smooth. He continued to read.

_ How was your day today? I hope you got a reasonable amount of sleep… _

He laughed nervously as he found a pen, this person already knew him too well. And they already cared for him. It was a nice thought for Alex, to know that even though these two had never met, they already had an amazing relationship and it was like they’d know each other since they were toddlers.

_ Hey, my day was pretty good, wish I met you, as always, but no fight with my English prof. today. I did get a good sleep last night, a full 8 hours for once. I guess the black circles under my eyes are just permanent. How about you, did today turn out okay? _

Alexander knew he may occasionally write a little too much, but his soulmate never seemed to mind. Especially not when he made one of his many attempts to flirt. Hamilton couldn’t help but be a flirt, it was in his genes at this point, even if it didn’t mean anything a lot of the time. He sat patiently as he saw the response begin to appear.

_ Good. See I knew you could do better, 8 hours is definitely better than 8 fucking minutes.  _

That made him smile, even though he knew he was getting scolded. He couldn’t resist imagining it actually happening. His soulmate standing above him, arms crossed, with their possibly curly hair and their maybe freckled face which were two completely random characteristics. They would be frustrated with him because he wasn’t taking proper care of himself and they loved him so they wanted him to try. He then read the rest of the words.

_ My day went a lot better than expected actually, there was some… stuff going on yesterday, it all happened too fast. But in the end I think I met some new friends! _

Alexander scribbled down his next words, seeming to completely forget about the time.

_ I’m really sorry about that. Man, I wish we could write personal information, I could go over there and comfort you until you feel better whether you like it or not. It’s great that you made new friends though, just don’t go and forget to make those beautiful masterpieces of yours, okay? _

Maybe that was a bit too cheesy, but it was too late now and he had no regrets at this point.

_ It’s not your fault. And I agree, if I was over there with you, you definitely would get more sleep whether you like it or not! Those guys seem pretty great, even though I’ve known them for barely a day, but I don’t think they’re good enough to make me forget about you. If I stop making them, how will we know when we meet? _

And that was exactly what made Alexander so sure of what he had on his arms everyday. The reassurance that fate would lead them together, and he would be able to tell almost immediately thanks to their amazing paintings. It would be amazing, they’ve hit it off most of their life, why wouldn’t they be able to when they met? Even though Alexander wasn’t very sure of himself, he knew that this was his  _ soulmate _ so it wouldn’t matter. All of this got him through his childhood, the foster homes, the bullying. It was, in a way, his safe place. When he heard Jefferson talk shit about them he just  _ had _ to take action. What, was he supposed to just let it happen? This is Alexander Hamilton we’re talking about. He responded on his arm once again.

_ Oh, I’m sure you’ll be able to pick out such an eloquent, honorable, and brilliant individual in a crowd of billions. _

Hamilton ended his sentence with a little doodle of a winky face. He chuckled at the what he got next.

_ I forgot how full of yourself you are… _

_ Oh, you know you love it! _

_ Whatever, you dork. _

 

Alexander really hadn’t noticed how long they had been ‘talking’ for. It only seemed like five minutes as they switched from topic to topic, his soulmate still finding room to paint around their conversation as it happened. Just random doodles of flowers and hearts and stars. He was brought back to reality when he heard his phone buzz. He turned it on to find a text from his dear foster brother.

**Large Baguette:** alex, we are picking you up in 20

**Large Baguette:** Be Ready

That was when Alexander started to panic, his eyes darting to the top of his screen to see the time. Holy shit, had it really been an hour already!? Alright he had to get dressed, eat at least something, just make sure he was presentable enough for Lafayette’s standards, and he had to do it fast. No big deal. Maybe he’ll skip eating, they’re going to the bar anyway so he can just get some chips.

Alexander wrapped up their conversation, a little disappointed that they had to put an end to it. He rushed to his bathroom, brushed his teeth, fixed his hair into his classic ponytail, and put on some cheap cologne along with some cheap deodorant. He knew it was a place where most people would be wasted, but there was no harm in being decent. He had no reason to try to look or smell good, he was going to get sweaty anyway. It’s not like he wanted to impress anyone, just wanted make a good second impression on John. That’s all. 

Once he was out of the bathroom he looked through his closet. Hamilton didn’t exactly have much to choose from, but he wanted to be comfortable so he put some thought into it. Too fancy, too scratchy, too revealing, covers too much, too smelly, uh, plain no, he thought as he moved his hangers aside. In the end, his efforts really meant nothing as he decided to wear some jeans, a t-shirt, and a grey hoodie. It was chilly outside. 

Since Alexander had about seven minutes left he took out a piece of bread from his cabinet and shoved it into his mouth. It was a  little bit stale but it was still edible and he didn’t exactly have a wide variety to choose from. Buying unnecessary food was a waste of money in his opinion, although he’s been to;d that it’s not healthy to think that way. Maybe he should go grocery shopping soon. He didn’t bother to take out butter or something from the fridge, so he just ate his plain untoasted bread. As he chewed the last bite he heard a loud and familiar knock on his door. Ah, yes, that series of pounding on that thin piece of wood separating his shelter from a possible murderer, Girl Scout, or friend.

Alexander walked to the door, but he didn’t open it, no, he just crossed his arms. He knew full well that Lafayette wouldn’t stop until he answered him. It had been a few seconds when the sound stopped, he guessed his foster brother had gotten tired. Hamilton then smirked when the sound erupted through the room once again. Only this time it was followed by the jiggling of the doorknob and Laf’s voice.

“Alexander! Open the damn door, I know you’re in there, you asshole!” Lafayette demanded, his thick french accent muffled by the door.

Alexander full on laughed at his friend on the other side of the door. “No one’s home!” He yelled.

“So help me God, Hamilton! I will break down this door! Do you think this piece of wood is going to stop me?”

Alex knew that he was probably bluffing, but he also knew that Lafayette had almost no limits to his recklessness along with an absolute lack of  humility. In the end, he thought that it was probably best to not put his money and future at risk. He turned the doorknob and yanked the door open, making Laf all but fall into his excuse of a living room.

He stumbled back to his feet as if nothing ever happened and put his hands on his hips, giving Alex the angry mom look, “Good. I was about to break in myself.” He bluntly stated as seriously as he could, although Alexander noticed that playful glint in his eyes. 

Hamilton snorted, “Psychopath. You’re a psychopath.”

“Yeah, yeah, look who’s talking,” Laf retorted. When Alex looked slightly offended, he wildly signaled to the entire room they were in, “You live in a grey cube, Alex! There is barely anything in here!”

He scoffed, “Okay, yeah, but it’s a college dorm. I’m just making things easier for myself!” Even though his brother had a small point yet again, he stood by his argument. Sure, his place was bland and boring and underwhelming, but this was by all means temporary. He would definitely fix up his future home once he graduates. Having all that furniture and kitchen stuff would just make it more difficult. 

Laf sighed, defeated, he shook his head at Hamilton before grabbing him and leading him out the door, “Come on, Herc is waiting for us in the car and John will be meeting us at the bar.” He turned to the other, a grin on his face, “You wouldn’t want to keep him waiting, now would you?” 

Alexander scoffed again, wiggling out of his grip to turn and lock the door, “We have discussed this topic many times already!” He scolded him, suddenly grateful that Lafayette couldn’t see his face. It was just getting a little warm in the hallway and he didn’t want him to mistake it for anything. Yeah.  
  


Poor Alexander had managed to survive an agonizingly longer than usual car ride full of his friend’s teasing. Despite his many protests and attempts to turn it onto them, they stood strong and stuck to a single topic for once. He would have been proud if the topic wasn’t that, but hey, improvement. Once they finally,  _ finally _ , got to the bar, they were able to find the new student pretty easily, he had actually been waiting for them outside. They greeted him, Hamilton taking notice of his hoodie with a cartoon turtle that wore a top hat on it. It was adorable. 

The four of them had rushed into the bar, Lafayette the most excited about spending some time together. Now, Alex was sitting alone at the bar, sipping his drink and watching the other three on the dance floor. As always, Laf and Herc could dance like they were the only two people in the room. That could become more of a burden when they were drunk. Which they were. But he guessed that sober them wouldn’t really care either. Lafayette  _ had _ insisted that he danced, various times at that, but Alex turned him down. The flashing lights and loud music were beginning to give him a headache and he’d thought about sneaking out and going home. He could leave Laf a message or something to explain and get a cab, but decided to see where this whole thing went in the end.

He was mostly entertained by John, he had a few drinks, okay maybe more than a few, but he only seemed like he had one. He was definitely not a lightweight to say the least. Hamilton admired John’s dancing, his body carelessly moving to the beat, completely confident in his drunken skills. His curls bouncing with every step, falling perfectly, framing his face in a beautiful way. The expression on his face showed that he was having a great time, the huge smile plastered on his face never left him as he sung the lyrics to every song that played with the other two. A light blush was spread across his freckled cheeks, it only made them stand out more. Alexander wanted to run his thumb over them, he wanted to count them all and find the constellations in them but in a completely platonic way. Christ, he felt like the guy that goes ‘No homo’ after eating a banana. Why did this boy have to be so pretty? If he wasn’t this attractive then Alex wouldn’t have to drool over his perfect face and body and butt all day. Not that he’d been looking at his butt. 

At least John didn’t notice the unintentional staring, he was too focused on having fun to look in Hamilton’s direction. John then decided to be a major inconvenience and turn to him. He really spoke too soon. They made eye contact for a few seconds before John smiled at him, making Alexander laugh nervously and look away. That was a little awkward for him, maybe he didn’t know he was staring, maybe he thought that it was coincidence. Yeah, he probably thought that and not that Hamilton was a creep. Well, at least he turned back to Laf and Herc-- Oh dear lord, he was walking towards him.

Hamilton quickly turned around in his seat, hoping that would somehow help his case. Alas, it was too late. John sat on the stool to his left before ordering a drink and turning to the shorter boy. He tilted his head when he didn’t look up at him, just continued to shyly sip his drink. This felt off,  _ Alexander Hamilton _ was  _ shy _ right now.  _ He _ was at a  _ loss for words _ . This may be the first time in history an event such as this is happening. His outspoken and confident self demeanor was suddenly gone and his mind went blank for the first time  _ ever _ . He decided to blame the alcohol. He really shouldn’t be thinking of anyone like this except for his soulmate. He only had eyes for them, even if John was incredibly attractive and potentially perfect. He wouldn’t be lying if he said that he was very open to the idea of him being his soulmate, but the chances were so small and he hadn’t seen his arm… it just probably wasn’t the case.

“Hey, Alexander, couldn’t help but notice you sitting here alone,” He said, the southern accent much more prominent due to his many previous drinks. 

“Yeah, I didn’t feel like dancing. Thought I might as well get drunk though.” He smiled at him and shrugged.

John’s face softened, the new drink now in his hand, “Would you mind if I joined you?”

Hamilton was a little surprised by his request, even though he really didn’t mind at all, “Really? I mean, you just seemed to be having a lot of fun dancing with Laf and Herc, I wouldn’t want to bore you here if you’d rather not,” He looked away once again.

John then immediately brought his eyes back to him, “Nonsense!” He yelled, probably louder than he intended, as if what Hamilton had just said was completely absurd. “Look, I’ve spent plenty of time talking to them, I know plenty about them by now. I don’t know nearly enough about you,” He raised his glass to Alex, “I want to talk to  _ you _ .” His tone was soft, something in the other’s heart flipped, he wondered if it had been this hot in the room before.

Alex honestly couldn’t tell if this boy was flirting with him or if John was just being friendly. It didn’t help that his face looked so sweet and nice. Hamilton had had a taste of his own medicine before but he never reacted like this, he just needed to calm down.

Alexander let his smile widen as he clinked John’s glass with his own, “Well, what’s there to say?” He tapped his chin to show that he was in thought, feigning uncertainty. “Let’s see… not much apart from the few small facts.” He grinned as he began to count on his fingers, “I am skilled in various things, I am the most eloquent man you will ever have the pleasure to meet, I have very little to no humility, I am always ready to thrown hands, I am very capable of tearing you apart with mere words, I amaze and astonish, I got a lot of brains, just no polish, with every word I drop knowledge, I’m a diamond in the rough, a shiny piece of coal, I’m sure you’ll be able to add to the list as time goes on.” He ended with a shrug and received a playful push from John.

The latter had that same amused smile from earlier, he looked like he was trying very hard to suppress his laughter. “Lord, you sound exactly like someone I know…” He chuckled, rolling his eyes fondly at the thought and taking a sip of his drink. That left Alexander wondering who he could be talking about, maybe a friend or family member. He thought it best not to pry.

“They must be pretty great then,”

John responded with an uncertain noise, making the so-so sing with his hand. It was now Alex’s turn to nudge him.

Hamilton crossed his arms, “I don’t know if I should be offended by that!” He pouted.   
  


They ended up talking for a while. It only seemed like five minutes as they switched from topic to topic, never getting bored, making each other laugh with stupid jokes or ranting about serious issues. It was enjoyable, they had a lot of the same opinions. They even managed to influence each other, which was new for both. Alexander didn’t end up having too many drinks, he didn’t want a huge hangover in the morning and he kind of wanted to remember tonight, so he was still kind of sober. John even seemed to forget to order more drinks for himself. He was sure John would remember none of this, when he brought it up he came up with the creative solution of exchanging numbers so Alexander could text him everything in the morning.

After letting comfortable silence grow between them, Alex decided to speak up, “Hey, John?” 

The freckled boy looked to him and nodded.

“Why  _ did _ you transfer in the middle of the second semester?” He asked. 

John’s eyes widened for a split second, something in his expression becoming dark. It looked as if he just remembered the most horrible experience of his life. Alexander had been curious but he didn’t mean to just blurt that out so quickly. He just fucked up real bad, didn’t he? Regrets. So many regrets.

Before he could say anything to fix this, John sat up straighter as he cleared his throat. He turned to Hamilton, a sad smile on his face, “Um, I… I came out to my dad a month ago…” He wiped the back of his neck before dropping his fists onto the table. He grit his teeth, “He didn’t take it so well…”

John took a deep breath, Alexander gave his left shoulder a squeeze in an attempt to comfort him. The action brought their bodies closer to each other. It was nice, even though the other probably wouldn’t remember. It was for the best. John didn’t even flinch, he just squeezed his hand. Alex looked him in the eye, “John, I’m so sorry.” 

Alexander knew that some people knew that maybe they wouldn’t be made for their assigned other, and he could respect that even though he couldn’t relate. He hated when people would discriminate other human beings just because they were different. The stupidity and ignorance in their statements made his blood boil, made him want punch each and every one of them in the face until they bled. 

John smiled at him and shook his head, “It really isn’t your fault at all,” he took a deep breath, “I had been getting ready to tell him because he finally seemed to be more accepting. Honestly, it was stupid. Once I told him he got… furious. He told me I’d be going to hell, that I’d never find my soulmate. He told me that he was going to stop paying for my college and once I found another way he would kick me out… and that’s what happened. It took awhile for me to find a college that would accept a transfer student in the middle of the semester, since my dad had connections in my old college they dropped me. Once I found something he kicked me out… I don’t know what else I expected from Henry  _ fucking  _ Laurens…” He struggled to get the words out, he looked like he was about to cry, and when he said his father’s name he seemed to be spitting out venom.

Alexander felt anger rise in him as he heard what that sad excuse for a father did to someone as wonderful as John. He had absolutely no idea how much he lost. That stupid Henry Laurens, ignorant national embarrassment. Now that he thought about it, the name sounded familiar. Laurens. Where had he heard it before. 

That was when he nearly jumped out of his seat in surprise. “Henry  _ Laurens _ ?! The  _ senator _ Henry Laurens?!  _ That _ homophobic, racist, useless, piece of steaming white trash?! The literal human version of white supremacy?! That man’s super rich!  _ And  _ an asshole!” Alex was lucky the entire bar didn’t turn to him. He would have mentally kicked himself for saying something stupid if he didn’t see John’s face. His expression lightened and he grinned at him, his shoulders no longer up to his ears. He looked at him almost fondly. Hamilton looked away for a brief second, chuckling awkwardly.

“Yeah,  _ that _ Henry Laurens,” he snickered, his expression dropping slightly. “The only thing I’m really worried about is my siblings… I mean, I was the only one that actually took care of them since… since my mom died…” His voice cracked. A thought came to Alexander’s head and he wondered why he was telling him all of this. Maybe this wasn’t the best time to think about it. After all, John was very drunk and he probably wouldn’t recall any of this, as said before.

John ordered another drink before continuing, “I was sixteen when my mom died, we were really close to say the least, I loved her so much. She was too trusting of my father, giving him endless chances and making excuses, she always blamed herself for our suffering. Even though she always protected me and my siblings, Henry always gave her shit because of it. He’s always been an abusive piece of shit. When she died he got angry whenever any of us grieved. But the worst part was that he neglected us, I had to protect my siblings.” He said glumly, taking a big swig of his new drink.

“The worst part is that my brother died because of me…” John’s voice faltered as Alex’s eyes widened. He couldn’t comprehend what he possibly meant, but the other answered him before he could ask. “I was watching him… I got distracted and he ran off… he fell and…” John had started to cry, the tears rolling down his freckled cheeks and falling onto the counter. Alexander felt an unreasonable amount of worry, of a desire to protect. “He was barely a child…” He sobbed.

He carefully wiped John’s tears away, watching him to make sure this was okay. Alex pulled him in for a hug and rubbed the small of John’s back with his hand. “It wasn’t your fault, you shouldn’t blame yourself as much as you do,” He tried to make his voice as comforting as possible. The other had buried his face in Hamilton’s shoulder, before completely pulling away.

“...I’m sure you were a wonderful caretaker, I bet they love and miss you, I mean who wouldn’t? I can’t even fathom how the  _ hell _ someone as great as  _ you _ is related to…  _ that _ .” Alexander admitted, still feeling the pit of hate in his stomach. He wanted nothing more than to take John in his arms again and hug him tightly until he felt better. 

The blush that kissed at John’s cheeks darkened as a tender smile appeared on his face. He nudged Hamilton slightly, “You’re quite the flatterer, Alexander…” he slurred, “It’s adorable.” 

It was barely more than a whisper, but it definitely made his heart flip. He felt his face grow hot, wondering if they had been this close before.

In a desperate attempt to brush it off, he pretended not to hear it. Even though he knew this wasn’t going to leave his thoughts for weeks. He turned the conversation back to the previous topic, “And I  _ know  _ that they love you, John, because, despite everything, siblings protect each other, even if they are little shits sometimes… Just be sure to know they appreciate you.” Not even Hamilton meant to sound that deep, but, like most of the time, the words just flew out of him. He turned to Lafayette, who was dancing on a table with Herc, with a smile that threatened to drop as another memory crossed his mind.

John seemed to notice the small twitch of the corner of his mouth because he then wore a suspicious look, “Hey, Alex, I think you mean more than your foster brother over there..” He chose his words carefully.

“How do you mean?” Hamilton pretended to be surprised by his statement.

“I told you  _ my _ life story, now it’s your turn. I mean, might as well get that out of the way now, right?” 

Alexander chuckled at his attempt to lighten the mood. In any other situation he would shut this down right away, walk to the other side of the room and dance with his friends, he absolutely hated talking about his childhood. But, for some strange reason, he felt… safe with John. Something deep inside him told him that he could trust him, that he could tell him anything. Maybe Alex really was a lightweight. That was probably it.

He took in a long breath, thinking this through. Then he looked at John and decided, fuck it, he’ll forget this. “I was born in the Caribbean, and I had an older brother. I really loved my mom and my family, but, as edgy as it seems, the world just seems to love fucking me over… and I just couldn’t seem to die...” he started, looking at the other to make sure he wasn’t boring him.

“We were really poor, I kind of grew up too fast even if my brother did more than me. I was ready to beg, steal, borrow, or barter. I always had to keep my guard up, while all I really wanted was something to be a part of…” He let out a bitter and awkward chuckle.

“When I was ten my father left and took the little money we had, he abandoned us with crushing debt…” Hamilton grit his teeth at the thought of his dick of a father, “I guess I know a thing or two about shit dads, huh?” He tried to joke, earning only a sad laugh from the other.

“Then two years later, we got sick… really sick… My mom and I couldn’t get out of bed, my brother had to work really hard to get medicine and… everything…” Alex took a swig of his drink, feeling tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. He cleared his throat, “I woke up one morning… she had passed away with me in her arms… and I didn’t leave her side until my brother made me.” Alexander’s voice cracked, his voice more slurred than before. 

The next thing he knew, John had taken his hand in his own, giving it a comforting squeeze. He felt the heat on his face rise, it took all his willpower not to melt right then and there. His hands were so soft and warm, just another thing he found so soothing about this perfect boy. He looked up into John’s beautiful, consoling eyes, taking in every inch of his perfect face and how his curls fell to frame it in such an angelic way. Even in that bar, with the music booming in his ears, the sweaty drunk people crowding them to the point he almost got claustrophobic, the influence of alcohol, and the throbbing headache already forming behind his eyes, John still looked like he was sent from heaven. It was unfair, he was so amazing with his perfect face and body and personality and butt and freckles and face and hair.

Hamilton quickly snapped back into reality, “So, we moved in with our cousin… who committed suicide not much later…” Alexander sucked in a breath when he saw John’s pitiful expression, God was he really sharing everything right now? Well, he’s in too deep, “My brother and I were now alone. But I knew I had to fend for myself. Before they took us away to the orphanage I read every treatise on the shelf…”

He really found it hard to continue, but he found he couldn’t just stop. He’d never told anyone this much about his past. Not even Laf. “I wanted to give up, but my brother never let me,” He smiled fondly at the memory of his older sibling, “You know, he was the oldest but sometimes he was a dumbass, I had to take care of him a lot.” John gave him a small smile before he began to talk again, “I worked a lot, mostly selling and trading. I scammed for every book I could get my hands on. Planned for my future. Even though my brother was old enough to leave the orphanage, he didn’t have enough money to take me in, but some people who worked there let him visit. He used to tell me that if I were anyone else I would have given up so long ago.” Alexander found himself smiling, but if left his face as fast as it had appeared.

“Then a hurricane came when I was seventeen, destroyed everything, I was devastated, I saw my future drip down the drain…”

“So I did the only thing I could, I wrote my way out. I wrote everything down as far as I could see. A ‘testament to my pain’ as some would say. I wrote my way out of hell, the pen was my best friend.” He looked up once again and his spirits were raised once he saw that John was listening so intently to him, he seemed to care so much. “I looked up and the town had it’s eyes on me. They passed a plate around, total strangers, raised enough money to send me to New York… I owe those people my life,”

Hamilton had never even had the time to learn all those people’s names, all he knew was that they were the reason he was here now. Sometimes it was nice to know humanity wasn’t completely cruel.

“However, I was still an orphan, I needed a foster home.” He looked over at Lafayette, the french-man currently leading his soulmate by the hand to some other room. Alexander rolled his eyes, “That’s when the Washingtons and Lafayette came into the picture.” 

John responded with a noise, as if to say he thought that was sweet, “Of course, I didn’t really warm up to them right away, but Laf is an affectionate person and he wanted us to be friends quickly. I’d say he knows me better than most, he got me comfortable with Martha and George, even if I didn’t want a father figure per say. And now I’m here, with big plans for the future!” He exclaimed, attempting to lighten the mood.

There was a moment of silence between them before John spoke up “...And what about your brother?” He asked.

“I haven’t heard from him in years.” He stated simply. Alexander tried to do what he always did when talking about this topic, suppress all emotion and focus on his words. He wasn’t good at emotions and he missed his brother terribly. The thought that something happened to him haunted him at night. Along with the thought that he just stopped caring about him. He liked to think that his brother found a nice job, that he found his soulmate and now has a better life than they could have ever had in the Caribbean, but it wasn’t a common thought. Hamilton sighed, “I miss him a lot. He helped me through a lot of stuff.”

John gave him a sad look, “I’m, I’m really sorry for prying, Hamilton,” 

Alex let a small smile rise on his face, “No, it’s okay… it was actually kind of nice to talk about it. Thanks, Jack” 

John looked at him for a second, “Jack?” He asked, taken aback by the sudden use of nickname, “Don’t call me that,” He definitely couldn’t have thought Alexander would take that seriously, especially with the tone he had.

Hamilton chuckled, playfully nudging the other, “I  _ will _ call you that, Jacky,” 

John let out an exasperated sigh, “Oh boy…”

 

A few drinks later, John had managed to convince Alexander to dance. Hamilton was never particularly ‘good’ at this, he ended up stepping on so many feet. So Many. But it was actually pretty fun, he was really glad he ended up going to the bar with his friends. More specifically, he was really glad he ended up spending most of the night with john. Even though these two had never met before, they already had a great friendship and it was like they’d know each other since they were toddlers. They got along so well, they practically became instant best friends. Plus, it wasn’t much of a downside that he got to look at John’s beautiful face all night. In a completely platonic way. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for reading <3 ! Kudos and comments are very much appreciated


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so it's been a while yet again! And I know what I said last time but I've been going through a rough patch, creative wise. I can't seem t be inspired, and I've been doing a lot of ship event as an outcome of that to help. I rewrote this about 5 times, and I'm still not completely satisfied with this, but I thought that I should just publish it and move on to the next chapter. I've just been feeling detached from Hamilton recently, due to something personal, but don't worry! I'm working through it and I still love it! I will continue this story, but I should tell you that I never intended this to be very long, I plan on having the big 'climax' very soon and I don't know if you guys would just like to see anything after that. When this does end, I do plan on making a lot more lams things, though. ALSO! Special thanks to everyone that has stuck around and left comments!!! I really appreciate your kind words and patience! Thank you so so much, sweethearts <3

The next morning, Alexander woke up with a beastly headache. It pounded behind his eyes as soon as he opened them, circling in his brain and settling at his temples. The light pouring in from the windows was way too bright right now, and his vision was blurry, making it all the more agonizing. He shut his eyes again. He needed coffee, though, and  _ now _ . Hamilton brought his hand up to  shield his tired eyes from the bright morning sun. He opened them again, taking a second for his vision to adjust.

His head was still pounding with every blink. Moving anything in the slightest was painful. With a groan, he managed to look around. He was in his dorm room, shirtless, lying with his head at the foot of the bed and the rest off his body hanging off of it. His room was a mess, although it was honestly always a mess. Thank the lords that Alexander was able to get a dorm by himself, if he had a roommate he was pretty sure they would hate him by now. 

Hamilton rubbed at his eyes once again, and, with all the strength he could muster, fully sat up. Oh sweet lord and saviour Jesus Christ, can death just take him already? He looked around again. Next to his bed he found a full glass of water along with a note he had written himself the night before. In black pen he read: 

_ Drunk me, please drink this full glass of water before going to bed. Hangover me will really appreciate it. I know you’re a stubborn ass hoe, just do it. Don’t be an asshole this time, dude. Sincerely, Normal me. _

And below that, in red pen, he read:

_ Fuck you! Fuck Hangover me! Fuck all of you! I’ll drink water whenever I wanna drink water! You don’t get to boss me around, you glorified gremlin! -Drunk  me _

Because of course he did. Of course his stubborn ass didn’t listen to his  _ own damn self _ . Why wasn’t he that surprised? Alexander really was his own worst enemy. He reached over for another pen, it happened to be blue, and he grabbed the paper to start writing.

_ Thank you so much, Drunk me, I wish I was dead. Why you gotta be such a jerk man? My thoughts taste like beef jerky. -Hangover me _

Alexander put it back down on the table. Was that completely unnecessary? Maybe. Did he do it anyway? Yes. Yes he did. 

For a brief moment he got very dizzy, Alex held his head once again to try to ground himself. He shivered as he got extremely cold then somehow very hot at the same time. Oh god, he was never going to drink again. Not even if that gorgeous hunk of man urged him to have fun and dance. Alright, maybe he would in those circumstances. But never that much again. 

Coffee. Right. He needed coffee. Right now. 

Hamilton was able to stand up, stretching once he did. He spotted his phone on the other side of the room on the floor. He took slow, agonizing steps towards it and somehow managed to bend over and grab it. He looked at the time and holy shit it was  _ twelve o’clock _ . Christ, how long had he slept? He had the study group with everyone today at his dorm. He wasted so much time sleeping and he probably somehow trashed the few things he had in his dorm. He needed to hurry up and make everything presentable. They’d all get there at three and Alexander had  _ just _ woken up. Great. Plus, John would be there, he can’t just have everything be a mess! He needed to make a good impression! Not to impress him or anything, it was just that it would be John’s first time in his dorm. Alexander didn’t know if he could even do the study group at all, he was so hungover he could barely move. 

Alexander had managed to get to the kitchen, get the coffee pot, and start to make the goddamn coffee. While he waited, he decided to look through his phone to see if his drunken self did anything too drastic. Nothing much on social media, just some drunk posts that he expected, he deleted some of them but kept some fun ones. Other than that, he seemed to have written down some very important, eloquent thoughts in his notes, such as: ‘Cats s should bbe ablre to breathe firew’, ‘Some duddder peed on the e flo or’, ‘JEffershit shold stick his head in a a toilet u’, and ‘JoHns fre ckl es make pretty conste;lations’. Alexander was quick to delete the note. 

One more thing he checked were his text messages, nothing much except for drunk texts to his friends that he made sure to apologise for and laugh about. The one thing he did notice, though, was that there was a new contact in his messages. Curious, he tapped on it to see the chat as the number didn’t have a name yet. It was mostly a very drunk exchange from last night, with… John! Oh, he had forgotten they exchanged numbers last night. As he read over the silly conversation and the embarrassing texts, more and more of what happened came back to him.

He tried to remember it all, and he began to piece together bits of information that he could recall, all until he knew most of what happened. 

He remembered the few drinks he had alone, John dancing and chatting with the other two, his long curls bouncing with him, framing his bright smile. He remembered John sitting beside him, “I want to talk to  _ you _ .” said clearly while staring into his eyes, making him slightly flustered. “You’re quite the flatterer, Alexander…” the other had slurred, “It’s adorable.” It made his face feel warm. He remembered them switching from topic to topic without missing a single beat, something he had only ever done with one other person. 

He even remembered the heavier things they talked about. He remembered John’s tears, his anguish, his stupid father… the fact that he even shared his past with him. He remembered telling him… his own origins. His own pain and suffering. And he went into great detail too. Alexander couldn’t recall any other time he had told it with such description. 

Then, he remembered calling John something along the lines of “Jack”, John dragging him by the hands to get him to dance, and drinking more alcohol. He guessed that’s when he must have blacked out. He really couldn’t get even a fragment to come back to him. 

Finally, he noticed that his coffee machine had finished brewing and his coffee was ready. Thanks to all that is holy, he got his morning cup and it helped. He felt less tired, and less dizzy. Alexander got some cereal to go along with his warm drink. He still needed to eat after all. 

As he sat next to the kitchen counter, a ping came from his phone and the screen lit up. He hastily grabbed it once again to see a text from John, whose contact was now named.

**Jacky:** Hey, afternoon Alex, so I’m pretty sure we agreed on talking about what happened last night, can we? I’m struggling to remember ^^’

**Little Lion:** Oh yeah, of course, I can remember most of it anyway :)

Alexander honestly felt excited to talk to John. He didn’t really know why, he was just a friend. A hot, kind, wonderful friend who, quite rudely, couldn’t be more perfect, but just a friend nonetheless.

But if John  _ were _ his soulmate… oh, the things Alex would  _ do _ —

He was snapped out of it when he felt the faint, familiar sting on his left forearm. Half of his attention was now on his arm, while the other was still focused on typing the paragraph with god-speed.

_ ‘Morning sunshine’ _ The words appeared on his now clean wrist.

Hamilton smiled, feeling the warmth in his chest at the thought of his soulmate, and took another swig of his coffee. He put his phone down momentarily as he ran a finger over the sloppy handwriting he knew so well. He found a pen he left on the counter and enthusiastically responded,  _ ‘Hey baby’ _

As he awaited the response, he finished writing the text that explained everything and hit send. It was so long that he had to hit the little arrow to see the full thing. But he always wrote like he was running out of time, like it was going out of style. His friends were used to it, but god knows John wasn’t.

**Little Lion:** Sorry for the long text lol

**Jacky:** No worries! Thank you!

**Jacky:** How did you write that so fast tho?

**Little Lion:** ;)

He looked down at his arm once he sent the little winky face. He couldn’t help but smile when he saw the response.  _ ‘How is it that I try so much harder to flirt but you always seem to make me more embarrassed?’  _ It read.

_ ‘What can I say? I have an undefeated charm. Even in writing.’ _

_ ‘Tomcat.’ _

Alexander chuckled,  _ ‘Am I supposed to be insulted by that, darling?’  _ Please, he knew he was a flirt and he wasn’t ashamed of it. His soulmate knew this by now, too. And Alexander knew that they weren’t completely against it, either. 

He waited for a second, only to laugh once again as he saw the beginning of a drawing appear instead of a response. Hamilton wrote one last message for good measure,  _ ‘I love youuu’ _ .

Alexander looked back up at his phone, no texts from John yet. He figured John was still reading the extremely long paragraph he sent. 

Feeling only a little disappointed, he continued to work on the pile of dishes in his sink as fast as he could. It had been fifteen minutes, he had plenty of time to work on the mess. But as he looked around at the moved furniture, last week’s laundry all over the floor, the empty coffee cups everywhere, and the garbage in the kitchen, he knew he wouldn’t be able to conquer it on his own. He needed help.

As he put the last dish away, he wondered who he should call. Laf would only whine the entire time, and he wasn’t in the mood for a lecture from him right now. Plus, he would be irritable since he was probably hungover, too. Herc would want to bring Laf with him, and they would end up making out and get nothing done. Burr was just no. He wasn’t that close with Maria, she would only be coming because of Eliza… 

Eliza! She was his nicest friend, so she wouldn’t really judge him. She’d be happy to help him, though he knew she would be annoyed and that she could be terrifying… from personal experience. But she never hesitated to help him out because, as she said, “Alex, you are incapable of living by yourself. You forget to eat and sleep. If you need help I will come busting down the door.”

Alexander smiled as he pulled out his phone again and proceeded to collect the garbage in his dorm, putting it into a black bag. 

**Little Lion:** Hey Betsey, you free? I kinda need help

**Queen Elizabeth LXXX:** Omg what happened? Did you burn something down again?

**Little Lion:** No!

**Little Lion:** I just need help cleaning up for the study group later

**Queen Elizabeth LXXX:** You live in a grey box, it’s never that bad

**Little Lion:** Yeah but I went to a bar with Laf and Herc last night

**Queen Elizabeth LXXX:** Oh good lord

**Little Lion:** Yeah…

**Queen Elizabeth LXXX:** Ok I’ll be there in 5

**Queen Elizabeth LXXX:** But I’m bringing Angie and Peggy so we can finish in time

That made Alexander stop in his tracks, he asked Eliza because she was the best option. Her sisters definitely wouldn’t be as accepting. They were his best friends, he considered all of them to be his illegitimate sisters, but that meant they acted like any other siblings in the world. Angelica would judge him very hard, and Peggy was his very best friend so she would ridicule him. Although, he had to admit that having all three of them over would be a lot faster. They were always a big help.

**Little Lion:** Fine. Thank you so much Liza

**Queen Elizabeth LXXX:** Don’t mention it, you big baby

Hamilton smiled once again. He was almost done collecting all the trash in his dorm, all that was left was his room and that was mostly empty starbucks cups. Before putting his phone back into his pocket, he once again checked for any new messages from John. Still nothing. Then, he looked down at his arm. His soulmate hadn’t written back, but he felt a familiar warmth spread in his chest as he saw the beginning of the unfinished sketch. A bouquet of flowers stretched over his forearm, daisies of all colours, pink lilies, and roses. His soulmate really knew him, they went out of their way to remember all of his favourite things. Alexander almost melted every time he thought of it.

He really didn’t need to make an effort to look decent for the Schuyler sisters. They’ve seen him at his absolute worst and they didn’t care at this point. So, he just waited for them, looking like a dumpster fire with only pants on. He was pale, the bags under his eyes were even more prominent than usual, his hair was greasy and spiky, and he smelled like sweat and alcohol. But he knew all they would tell him was to hurry up and make himself presentable while they helped clean up, so he didn’t bother to change or groom.    
  


A knock echoed through his excuse for a living room. He slowly strode over to unlock the door, and as soon as he did Eliza threw it open and burst in with her sisters. She smiled at Alex for a brief second before looking around and giving him a look of complete disgust and terror.

Eliza stepped up next to him and clasped her hands together, “Alright, girls. As we all know, our dear Alexander is a complete mess. And he made the mistake of going drinking with Laf last night.”

Angelica and Peggy both wore horrified expressions as they scanned the room around them. Peggy looked back up at him and began to laugh, “Ha! Loser!”

Alexander stuck his tongue out at her and scrunched his nose, she did the same in return.

He turned to see Angelica roll her eyes in exasperation. She pinched the bridge of her nose, groaning. “Alexander why do you do things when you  _ know _ they will end badly?” She questioned, but not to him, it was more directed to whatever god she prayed to at night. 

Eliza gave him the side-eye, as if to say she completely agreed with her big sister. Hamilton simply shrugged at her, giving a small cocky grin. 

Eliza rolled her eyes, but continued nonetheless, “Yes, yes, I know. But, unfortunately, we’ve basically accepted this disaster as a brother, so we gotta get to it!” She ignored Alex’ hurt scoff and her sisters’ laughs, “Angelica, please help me with this room, the kitchen and living room. And Peggy, please get started with the only other room here, his room, because this is a college dorm. And a luxurious one at that. Damn, you really are lucky.” 

“He has two whole fucking rooms!” Peggy added.

“And, lastly, Alexander. I want you to go take a goddamn shower. Go clean up, make yourself decent. Peggy make sure he doesn’t leave that room until he doesn’t look like a dumpster fire.” Eliza finished with a smile, her tone was firm but still playful. She’d never actually insult him, her heart was too kind for that. But then again, Hamilton would never want to make her pissed. It still haunts his nightmares.

“You flatter me, Betsey.” He insisted, fake appreciation in his voice. 

Eliza completely ignored his comment, as usual, and grabbed both him and Peggy by their wrists. She dragged the two giggling idiots to Alexander’s sad excuse for a bedroom. 

With one final “Get to it, guys!” shouted at them, she shut the door and left them trapped in the room. Peggy dove for his closet and began to look through it. Alex didn’t mind, the two were close. She pulled out a pair beige chinos pants, and a long-sleeved shirt that was blue on the top half then faded to white. She shoved the outfit into his arms and pushed him into his tiny closet of a bathroom that had exactly one free tile to stand on. 

“Hurry up in there, I don’t want to deal with this clusterfuck all by myself.” Peggy announced before turning and shutting the door behind her.

Alexander put the clothes on the toilet lid and looked at himself in the mirror with a chuckle. Good god, he had never really found himself to be considerably attractive, but Eliza was being  _ kind _ when she said that he looked like a dumpster fire. His hair was greasy and was sticking up in all the worst places, he was extremely pale, the bags under his eyes could have reached the tip of his nose. It was like someone had dragged his cold dead body in the sun after five days’ sewer bloat. He looked almost as bad as he felt. The only thing on his body that he could bare to look at in that moment was the growing bouquet of flowers that his soulmate was still painting onto their forearms. 

He took another minute to admire the colourful lines and patterns as they appeared on his skin. Alex just loved his soulmate so much. He wished that they’d be able to meet soon. The longer he waited, the more desperate he became to finally meet the certified love of his life. For pretty much his entire life he had longed to be able to actually talk to his soulmate, to hug them, kiss them. Something to make sure that they were actually real and not just a part of his imagination. But could he really ask for more? They were already in love, well Alex loved  _ them _ for sure, they talked regularly, and they do things that couples do, kind of. It’s like his soulmate is always with him, even if they aren’t actually physically there. 

Hamilton sighed. He pried his attention away from the forming masterpiece and pulled down his dirty pajama pants, kicking them aside. He did the same with his boxers and, once he did, turned to his tiny shower. He turned the water on and tested it to see if it was too hot. As he stepped in, he let the feeling of fresh water immerse him. He let the water run over his body, he was way too hot, thanks to his hangover, and the cold of it was helping to soothe the headache along with the soreness in his muscles. He grabbed his cheap shampoo and rubbed it into his scalp, he wanted to finally get rid of all the disgusting grease in his hair. He hadn’t showered in at least five days.

Once he was done with his quick yet effective shower, he stepped out and grabbed the towel he had hanging behind the door. Alexander dried himself off before rubbing the towel on his head to get some of the water out, too. He put his clothes on, and just as he was about to roll his sleeves up, he noticed something strange. Something that he was extremely not used to seeing. 

His soulmate had erased their masterpiece only seconds after having finished it. That was quite the bummer for Alex, he was looking forward to proudly showing off the beautiful work of art. But mostly, it had him a little worried. It was rarely that his forearm was completely bare. He’d have to make sure his soulmate was alright later, if they hadn’t painted another one by then. It wasn’t always a big deal, he’d learned that if there was nothing on his arm by nighttime, _ then _ something might be wrong. He’ll wait it out before asking.

Alexander refocused on getting ready, he rolled up his sleeves, brushed his hair but decided on not blow drying it, too much work, and just tying it up right away. Before opening the door and going back to see Peggy, he looked himself in the mirror again. He looked about fifty times better than before. His skin was no longer as white as a sheet of paper and the bags under his eyes were back to their normal size, too. He gave himself a little nod and finally stepped out of the bathroom with his dirty clothes in his arms.

He almost couldn’t believe the sight before him. The girls had surely summoned some kind of angel to miracle his mess away. The garbage was gone, so were the clothes. His bed was made. His room was spotless and it smelled like… Febreeze? Everything looked like it was never reduced to a volcanic mess in the first place, except for his desk and the scattered papers, although he was grateful for that. He was defensive when it came to his work, he could admit it. His jaw dropped as Peggy turned to look at him, he gave her the most confused look.

“Ah, there you are! I was beginning to wonder if I had to call an ambulance.” She stated bluntly, crossing her arms.

“You might need to.” Alexander gawked, “H… How?”

“I know, right? I’m a miracle worker!” She flaunted, and he found it hard not to agree. Then, she looked right at him with a serious expression, “Yeah, you better be fucking grateful. I found your sex toys. Who knew you were into leather?” She mused.

Alexander snorted at her joke. They do this regularly, just say the most embarrassing things to see who could figure each other out. That’s how he found out she ate butter with a spoon. It was disgusting, but she wasn’t ashamed, which actually scared the shit out of him. He rolled his eyes at her, mumbling out an “Oh, shut up.” 

The youngest Schuyler broke out into a fit of giggles, “I would have never guessed you were into that stuff, it’s a little concerning Alex!” She insinuated, fake worry evident in her voice.

Alexander smiled, “You don’t even know the half of it!” He decided to play along.

She laughed one last time, then opened his closet to show him what she’d done. “Your clean clothes are hung and I put your dirty laundry in this basket,” She signaled to a basket that was in his closet, tucked neatly under his hung attire, “and I made sure to not touch your desk or papers because I know how you get.” 

“Thank you so much, Peg-leg, honestly!” Alexander walked up to her and gave her a bear hug, which she returned.

Peggy sighed, “It’s nothing, I still owed you for last week. Really, you should be thanking Eliza for dragging us down here.”

Alexander hadn’t forgotten about that. Eliza was too good for this world, and he would never be able to repay her for everything she’d ever done. He hummed, “I do have to ask, though; how come you cleaned my room so fast but your room is still a shitpile?”

Peggy scoffed and gave him a light smack. “I’ll have you know that my room is exactly the way I like it.”

“Mmhm”

“...And I’m very lazy.”

“There it is.” Hamilton laughed at her words, then got right to organizing his work space.

He took a quick look at the time, pleased to see that is was only 1:30 and he still had another hour and a half. If he finished quickly, which he would, he’d be able to talk with his most trusted friends about something he was a  _ little _ conflicted about. Okay, a lot conflicted about, but he’d never admit it out loud.

There truly wasn’t much for him to do with his desk, he liked his organised mess and all he really wanted to do was reduce the mess for it all to be on his desk. He put all of his pens and pencils into their container so they weren’t scattered everywhere. Then, he picked up all his papers from the floor and put them each in a pile based on subject, credibility, urgency, leisure, and progress. And he made entirely different piles for both his personal projects and his part-time job. He was a story editor for a local newspaper. It was nothing nearly as big as he wanted to be doing, but he needed to start somewhere. And money. He really needed to stop mooching off of the Washingtons because the guilt was enough to crush him. Finally, he put the last pile of paper neatly where he wanted it on his desk. 

Hamilton turned to face his dear friend, who was just lying face down on his bed. “Peggy,” He called, making her turn her face to him, “I’m done, let’s go see if the other two need help.”

The youngest Schuyler stood up slowly, as if she was trying to convince him that she was in agony. “But I’m  _ tired _ !” She whined. 

“Get walking or I will drag you out.” Alexander threatened her.

“Fine, fine! I’m going!” Peggy opened his door and walked right out to where her sisters were.

Alex followed close behind and had about the same reaction as when he saw his room. His grey box sad excuse for a home was clear of any mess, his furniture was back in place, too. They had even managed to put the couch the right way up again. Yeah, he didn’t know how he did that. The whole mess had just vanished into thin air. And it smelled nice. 

Alexander went up to Eliza and hugged her tight. “Thank you so much! I am forever in you debt!” He said.

Eliza laughed and hugged him back, “Don’t mention it, Alexander. I don’t need anything back.”

Angelica scoffed loudly from behind them, “Speak for yourself! I need eternal repayment!” She claimed.

Alexander let go of his friend and gave Angelica a playful look, “Did no one ever teach you a little something called humility?” He asked.

Angelica sputtered, looking at him incredulously, “Look who’s talking, Alexander ‘I’m The Most Eloquent And Intelligent Man Alive’ Hamilton!”

Everybody got a laugh from that. “Alright, alright, you got me there.” He admitted.

Alexander then walked over to the kitchen side of the room. He was delighted to see that the coffee he made was still in the pot and he just had to warm it up. He was craving more. As he waited for it, he leaned on the counter and faced the girls. 

“So,” He began, rubbing the back of his neck, “I’m currently kind of conflicted about something and I was wondering if maybe you guys had some advice?” He asked quietly and looked away.

Eliza nodded at him, “Tell us everything.”

He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. “Well, you all know that I’m very much in love with my soulmate already, whoever they may be.” He started, earning a few understanding hums from them, “But, uh, you see…” He struggled to find the right words out of his mouth.

“Spit it out, Alex.” Peggy then, very helpfully, added.

He fiddled with his sleeve as he thought of what to say. “So, there’s this guy--”

Then the girls all resonated a unanimous, excited, and elongated “ _ Oh _ !”

“Oh, shut it. It’s not like I plan on marrying him!” He insisted, he looked away and felt his face growing a little hot. No matter how pretty and perfect John was, he’s still very committed to his soulmate. He will find them and marry them. He took a breath, “His name is John Laurens and he just transferred to my English class yesterday. Herc, Laf, and I took him for drinks last night and that’s why I needed your help. He’s actually coming to the study group today.” Alex was almost shy, or dreamy, as he thought about his new friend. God, he sounded like some stupid eighth grade girl. 

“And what exactly is your big conflict?” Eliza asked him. He could hear sincerity in her voice, but as soon as he looked up at her, he saw that she was so amused she could start laughing her ass off at any moment. Both her sisters wore similar expressions.

“Well, uh, you see, I,” He tried, “Kinda think he might be a little bit majorly… hot?”Alexander mumbled, his voice was small and high pitched. This was way too embarrassing. But it was either this or admit it to his foster brother, so he chose the lesser of two evils.

He then heard Angelica speak up, a fake pitiful tone in her words, “Oh, Alexander. You’re so sad.”

Hamilton began to feel a little defensive, or just flustered. “Okay, listen I’m in a difficult spot here, ok?! I love my soulmate so much and yet I suddenly have eyes for this random guy I met  _ yesterday _ ! And I can’t help but freak out!” He flailed around as if to exaggerate his points and continued his rambling. “And I know it’s not his fault that I can’t help he’s so perfect! And no, I’m not being over dramatic! The man looks like he was sent straight from heaven! Like he was chiseled out of marble and was brought to life by Aphrodite herself! And on  _ top _ of that he’s so charming and nice and smart and funny and…” His mouth stopped working and he trailed off at the thought of all the perfect things about that boy. He stared at the ceiling in a dreamy state, leaning on the counter and twirling a strand of his hair in his fingers. He didn’t know he had a big goofy smile on. 

“Aww, that’s so disgusting,” Peggy cooed from where she was sitting on the couch. 

Alexander ignored her, “See, I’m only supposed to be feeling like this about my soulmate! And I really do love them! So how am I supposed to  _ not  _ feel guilty about the way I see John?” He groaned and dragged his palm down his face.

Eliza hummed in acknowledgement. If he had turned around to see her, he would have seen her little knowing smile. But he didn’t. “Well, have you thought of the possibility that he could be your soulmate?” She tried.

That just made him groan louder and throw his arms down, “Yeah, I’ve heard all about that from Laf, already. And I just told him how unlikely it was.”

Peggy, still as helpful as ever, chimed in again. “According to Schrodinger’s law, he both is and isn’t your soulmate until proven otherwise.” She really seemed to think that was a good statement.

Hamilton squinted in thought, “I… really don’t think that’s how it works, Pegs.” The other two Schuylers nodded in agreement with him. 

“Oh, isn’t it, though?” It was more of an announcement than a question.

“It isn’t,” Alex stated.

But Peggy butt in once again, “It is.” She insisted, “Alex, you have an incredibly easy tell! Plus, your soulmate is making it extremely easier by painting your arm up like a peacock so they can tell from five miles away!”

He nodded, she really did have a point. But Alexander had never once seen John’s arm, and he himself hadn’t been very showy about his own lately. 

“All you have to do is see if his arm is the same as yours today. Or just have your arm on display. If he’s your soulmate, he would be ecstatic to know that he finally met you.” It was one of those rare moments where Peggy was the rational voice of reason in the group. She had various good points, and Hamilton then realized that it really was that easy. But there was one little problem.

“Yeah, I get that, but the thing is that they erased today’s painting.” He explained, a little sad about it.

“So?” Angelica retorted, “Just put something on, yourself.”

“They must have done it for a reason.” Alexander scoffed as if that were obvious, “I can’t just do that!”

“God, you’re so considerate!” Angelica groaned.

“Angie, that really isn’t a bad thing…” Eliza chimed in.

Alexander banged his head on the nearest wall, repeatedly, and groaned. This was so embarrassing, and he was so frustrated. He looked back up at the Schuyler sisters and took in a breath. “Whatever,” He muttered, then softened, “Thanks for everything, guys, I really appreciate it.” His tone was sincere, and he really did mean it.

“Don’t mention it,” Eliza said, once again.

“One more thing though,” Alex started with a completely serious look, “You cannot  _ ever _ tell  _ anyone _ that I told you this! If Lafayette finds out that I really do think John is super mega hot, I’ll never, and I mean  _ never _ , live it down.” He pleaded.

The three girls exchanged a look before nodding to him. “We promise!” They all said in unison.   
  


For the remaining hour, they hung out and chatted. Alexander had managed to drink all the coffee and now had another pot brewing on the stove. He had gotten many pillows to the face after teasing Eliza because she kept giggling over texts from Maria. For a human angel, she could be brutal. Peggy and Angelica had almost gotten into a fist fight over an app game. Alexander began to set up their study space. It was great and fun.

Then, three o’clock came and there was immediately a gentle knock at the door. Two soft raps, although still loud enough for them to hear. Alexander rushed to the door and opened it, wondering which one of his friends it would be.

He was greeted by those gorgeous, warm hazel eyes, an adorable excessively freckled face, and bouncy curls. Alexander let himself smile. He didn’t know why, but he felt an unnatural amount of joy. His knees were, annoyingly, getting a little weak and his heart was slightly getting faster. 

He let out a short breath, “Hi, John.” His smile grew.


End file.
